NEWFOUNDLAND Forgeries of the first issues

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1 p brown and 5 brown

(Genuine, I presume)

First forgery:

Distinguishing characteristics of this forgery:

1) The 1 p and 5 p should have 7 pearls in the left side of the crown, the above forgery only has 6 pearls! 2) The dot under 'T' of 'ST' is very small, in the genuine stamp it is quite big. 3) The apostrophe behind 'JOHN' is different from the genuine stamp

This is the first forgery described in Album Weeds. I've seen in it many colour shades ranging from light brown to lilac. I've even seen it perforated! Is the next stamp from the same forger?:

(Spiro forgery)

More dangerous engraved forgeries exist, all with the wrong number of pearls in the crown (according to 'The forged stamps of all countries' by J.Dorn), such as the following Oneglia forgeries:

(Oneglia forgeries)

I don't have any further information concerning these Oneglia forgeries. Note that they are cancelled with a grid '8' cancel.

Three pence green, triangle

(probably genuine)

In the genuine stamp, the word 'NEWFOUNDLAND' is one word.

Spiro forgery

1) The cancels are typical 'Spiro' cancels (a wide variety of bogus cancels seems to have been used) 2) The word 'NEWFOUNDLAND' has a larger space between 'D' and 'L' than in the genuine stamps. 3) The 'O' of 'JOHN' is flat at the bottom (in the genuine stamp it is rounded), also a diagonal dash can be found in this letter at the lower right side. 4) The 'O' of 'POSTAGE' is also flat at the bottom (genuine it is rounded) 5) The stamp is lithograped instead of engraved as the genuine stamps 6) The network in the center has 3 empty spaces in it with almost no lines (it is not as nicely done as in the genuine stamps) 7) There is an extra outline outside the stamps (this outline is not present in the genuine stamps).

This is the forgery described in Album Weeds (there even seem to be two types of this forgery, differing in the network pattern). Many of these forgeries seem to have been made, in such an extent, that later examples show wear.

Ongelia forgery:

(Reduced size)

1) The 'J' of 'JOHN'S' has a spur at the right base. 2) There is an extra dark layer above the trefoil. 3) The background appears to be cross-hatched.

Other forgery:

Another forgery is shown above, the lettering is quite different from a genuine stamp. For example, the 'J' of 'JOHN' or the 'S' of 'POSTAGE'.

And another forgery in the wrong colour (grey instead of green):

Many of these stamps exist bisected on cover. But these bisected stamps also have been forged. For example by the forger Raoul de Thuin; see 'The Yucatan Affair, The work of Raoul Ch. de Thuin, Philatelic Counterfeiter', published by The American Philatelic Society.

Two Pence

(Genuine stamps)

Spiro forgery:

(Spiro Forgeries)

1) Several bogus cancels were used 2) The 'E' of 'NEWFOUNDLAND' is very ugly, the center part is badly done. 3) The pearls are not very well done especially in the right upper corner under the '2'. 4) There are 7 pearls to the left of the word 'POSTAGE' (in the genuine there are only 6 pearls) 5) All the 2's are different from the genuine stamp. 6) This forgery is lithographed.

The plate to make this forgey was extensively used, so wear can be observed in the later forgeries (missing serifs, letters missing etc.)

Six pence

(Genuine stamps)

(Genuine?)

Spiro forgery:

Distinguishing characteristics of this forgery:

(Dist. char. 5 and 6)

1) The cancellations are quite 'peculiar' 2) These forgeries are lithographed 3) The letters of 'POSTAGE' and 'SIX PENCE' are larger than in the genuine stamps 4) 'F' and 'O' in 'NEWFOUNDLAND' evenly spaced 5) Apostrophe in 'JOHN'S' is long and thin 6) The period under 'T' of 'ST' is an oblong 7) Note that the '6's look thinner in this forgery.

1) The stamp is engraved 2) Apostrophe in 'JOHN'S' is roundish but has a very small tail 3) 'N' in 'PENCE' has the left hand upright broken near the base 4) 'F' and 'O' in 'NEWFOUNDLAND' are seperate 5) 'T' of 'ST.' is smaller and thinner than the genuine stamp

Sperati forgery:

This Sperati forgery can most easily be recognized by: 1) A line in the design between the lower part of the 'S' of 'SIX' and the circle surrounding the '6' to the left hand side of it. 2) Some 'smudges' between the 'X' of 'SIX' and 'P' of 'PENCE'.

I don't know if Sperati made other forgeries of this stamp.

Six pence half penny

1) The stamp is engraved 2) There is no dot in the 'H' of 'HALF' as in the genuine stamps 3) The 'G' of 'POSTAGE' looks like a 'C' 4) Apostrophe in 'JOHN'S' has no comma-like tail 5) The rose sometimes touches the inner circle at the top.

Sperati forgery:

Distinghuishing characterisics of this forgery:

(Dist. char. 4a and 4b)

1) The forgery is a photolithograph 2) The lines in the design are thicker, so the white spaces are less 3) Guide dots are sometimes missing 4) Some errors and corrections: .......a) a dot in the 'S' of 'SIX' .......b) a dot in the right lower leg of 'X' of 'SIX' .......c) the frame is broken below the 'F' of 'HALF' .......d) in 'PENNY' there are dots between 'P' and 'E' .......e) in 'PENNY' there are dots between 'N' and 'Y' 5) Generally, a 10 bar grid is used as a cancel

Eight Pence

(genuine stamp)

First forgery

(Forgery)

I presume that the above stamp is the forgery described in Album Weeds.

Distinghuishing characteristics of this forgery (taken from Album Weeds):

1) A dot in the lower part of the left side of the 'O' of 'POSTAGE' 2) A scratch across the middle of the 'E' of 'POSTAGE' 3) A small dot in the upper part of each limb of the 'U' 4) A small flaw in the top edge of the last 'D' of 'NEWFOUNDLAND' 5) A small scratch going outside the frame, bleow and to the left of the 'S' of 'ST'

One Shilling

I don't know the distinguishing characteristics of this Oneglia forgery.

Sperati forgeries

Sperati has made three different kind of forgeries of this stamp, forgery A and B are known in die-proofs, forgey C is known in used and unused condition.

In reproduction A: 1) there is a dot in the lower part of the 'J' of 'JOHN'

In reproduction B: 1) The 'O' of 'JOHN' is irregular at the top 2) A small break in the frame above the 'W' of 'NEW' can be found 3) The right top of the 'N' of 'NEW' slopes diagonally to the rigth (instead of being cut square) 4) The top of the 'L' of 'LAND' is rough 5) A small smear can be found on the right leg of the 'N' of 'SHILLING'

In reproduction C: 1) A doubling of the letters of 'POSTAGE' 2) A dot in the right of the 'H' and the top of the 'S' of 'JOHN'S' 3) A dot in the top ot the 'O' and a coloured spot in the cheeck of the first 'D' of 'FOUND' 4) Two dots in the 'O' and one in the 'S' of 'POST' 5) The bar of the 'A' of 'POSTAGE' is weak and sometimes missing 6) A dot in the upper diagonal of the 'N' of 'SHILLING' and a heavy dot in the right leg.